Navigating the world of specialty diets can be overwhelming, so we’ve compiled the single best apps according to experts in the field. With insights from a Registered Dietitian and a CEO, our seven contributors provide detailed reviews ranging from the digestive health focus of CaraCare to the comprehensive customisation offered by MyFitnessPal.
- Digestive Health Focus With CaraCare
- Personalised Plans via HealthifyMe
- Monash’s User-Friendly FODMAP App
- MyPlate: Diverse Diet Customisation
- Lifesum: Agile Eating Plan Personalisation
- PlateJoy: Tailored Meals With Shopping Sync
- MyFitnessPal: Comprehensive Diet Customisation
Digestive Health Focus With CaraCare
Cara Care is arguably one of the best specialty-diet apps for customising an eating plan in 2024, particularly for individuals managing digestive health conditions like IBD and IBS. The app allows users to log meals, symptoms, and bowel movements, helping to identify correlations between food and digestive health.
Cara Care also offers insights into how different foods affect symptoms over time, empowering users to make informed adjustments to their diet. The app’s integration with professionals, such as dietitians, makes it a well-rounded tool for those seeking a comprehensive, tailored approach to dietary management.
Danielle Gaffen, Registered Dietitian Nutritionist (RDN), Eat Well Crohn’s Colitis
Personalised Plans via HealthifyMe
HealthifyMe is a great choice for customising your specialty diet plan. From my personal experience, when I was on a strict diet to lose a few pounds, this app really stood out with its comprehensive approach to diet and wellness.
HealthifyMe offers personalised meal plans based on your dietary preferences, health goals, and lifestyle. Its extensive food database and nutritional information make tracking your intake simple and precise. One feature I found particularly useful was the ability to connect with a nutritionist or dietitian directly through the app, providing personalised advice and adjustments to your plan.
For example, when I was managing my carb intake, HealthifyMe provided tailored meal suggestions and real-time feedback that were instrumental in helping me stay on track.
The app’s integration with fitness tracking and its personalised recommendations based on your daily activity help ensure that your diet plan is not only customised but also effectively aligned with your overall health goals.
Aseem Jha, Founder, Legal Consulting Pro
Monash’s User-Friendly FODMAP App
The Monash University FODMAP diet app is an unbelievable resource for people with IBS following a low-FODMAP diet. Monash University does all of its own FODMAP testing, so the information is reliable and up to date. The app itself is very user-friendly and makes the challenge of low-FODMAP eating significantly more manageable.
Kelsey Russell-Murray, Registered Dietitian, Gut Healthy Dietitian Inc.
MyPlate: Diverse Diet Customisation
The best specialty-diet application for customising your eating plan in 2024 is definitely MyPlate, which gives you an overview of making a meal plan for your specific goal based on your individual dietary needs, such as low-carb, vegan, or gluten-free. It also tracks calories, macros, and nutrients, which keep tabs on you to ensure that you do not get off track from your health target.
What is refreshing about MyPlate is its large database of foods and recipes, so it’s easy to find meals for every dietary restriction. With daily reminders and progress tracking, MyPlate is the easy, one-stop shop for people seeking the perfect customisation for their diet.
Alex Taylor, Head of Marketing, CrownTV
Lifesum: Agile Eating Plan Personalisation
Lifesum stands out as the best specialty-diet app in 2024. Its intuitive interface lets users personalise their eating plans based on preferences, goals, and health metrics. Lifesum offers real-time tracking and adaptive suggestions, making it easy to adjust on the go. It’s all about staying agile and results-driven for lasting success.
Echo Shao, Founder, Lansbox
PlateJoy: Tailored Meals With Shopping Sync
In 2024, PlateJoy is the best app for customising specialty diets. It tailors meal plans based on your specific diet—whether keto, paleo, or gluten-free—and offers flexibility in choosing meals. After answering a detailed quiz, the app creates personalised grocery lists that even sync with services like Instacart, making it easy to shop. Plus, it reduces food waste by reusing ingredients across meals.
PlateJoy’s strength lies in its adaptability. You can easily swap recipes, and the app adjusts your shopping list automatically. It’s perfect for busy people who want healthy, customised meals without the stress of meal planning.
Tanya Lamont, CEO, Conversational
MyFitnessPal: Comprehensive Diet Customisation
In 2024, MyFitnessPal continues to dominate as the best app for customising specialty diets. Whether you’re into keto, vegan, paleo, or gluten-free, this app has become the go-to tool for personalising and tracking your eating plan with ease and precision.
Why MyFitnessPal?
- Tailored Nutrition Plans – From the moment you set up your profile, MyFitnessPal asks detailed questions about your goals, preferences, and dietary restrictions. Want to lose weight on keto while tracking your net carbs? Done. Need to boost your protein intake on a plant-based diet? No problem. It creates a plan that’s specific to your needs, ensuring that your macros and nutrient targets are spot-on for whatever diet you’re following.
- Massive Food Database – The app boasts one of the largest food databases available. With over 14 million foods logged, including options from all kinds of specialty diets, it’s easy to find exactly what you’re eating, whether it’s a specific brand of almond milk or a keto-friendly snack. The barcode scanning feature lets you log packaged foods in seconds, breaking down the exact nutrients so you can stay on track.
- Recipe Importer – MyFitnessPal’s recipe importer is one of its most powerful tools. Found a great low-carb recipe online? Plug it into the app, and it automatically calculates the nutrition info.
- Customisable Goals – One of the standout features is how easy it is to set custom goals. If you’re tracking your protein intake on a vegan diet or trying to limit your sodium, you can adjust your daily targets.
- Community Support – Dieting, especially on specialty plans, can sometimes feel isolating. MyFitnessPal helps combat that with its built-in community. You can join groups focused on your specific diet, exchange recipes, and get advice from others on the same journey.
While the free version of the app provides plenty of functionality, many of the best features—like detailed nutrient breakdowns and macro tracking—are locked behind the premium version, which comes at a cost. However, if you’re serious about your diet, it’s an investment worth considering.
Vinudev V, Self employed, Balanced Bite Café
